Ao'iro
by Hagane
Summary: the toast WAS supposed to change everything. so why didn't it? and here comes a smiling porcupine..... doesn't look like he's smiling anymore. ^^;; should i be kinder to Sendoh? He DOES look good with Mitchy. XP~~
1. everything has a beginning does it not?

Disclaimer: The characters featured are in no way related to me, and not that I want them to be since it would be pretty disgusting that I'd want to elope with one of them and it turns out that we're related. Ack. I'm digressing here. Anyhow, I guess I've made myself clear- they don't have anything to do with me though I wish they did. 

Pairings: It revolves mainly around my favorite unconventional pairings of MitSen and MitRu. If you don't like the notion, well, I won't beg you to read this. It's a free world and everyone has a right to do what they like. Agreed? 

Well, here goes nothing.

"I'm a little lost here. Could you run that by me again?" asked a befuddled Mitsui.

            Kogure gave what appeared to be a long-suffering sigh. Not that anyone could blame him. Anyone who had known Mitsui Hisashi for as long as he had would be suffering as well.

            "I'm going to have to leave Japan awhile," he repeated for the umpteenth time.

            Mitsui cocked his head to one side. "So? What's that got to do with anything? You're the one who's leaving here, not the house. Why can't I rent your house while you're gone?" he asked.

            Kogure couldn't help but stare at his friend incredulously. "Mitsui Hisashi, you never fail to amaze me. We've gone through this a million times already. I can't lease my house to you because I won't be in Japan."

            "That doesn't make any sense!" scoffed Mitsui, "Most people rent out their places BECAUSE they're not in Japan!"

            Kogure shrugged, "My parents don't want the house rented out all right?" '_Especially not to you.'_

            "Why ever not? It's not like I'm gonna trash the place or anything!" protested Mitsui indignantly. 

            Kogure winced. Bingo. "Well, they just don't. I'm sorry Mitsui, but renting out my house to you is out of the question," he smiled apologetically. He really did want to help but he couldn't go against his parents now, could he?

            Mitsui released a frustrated sigh. "Swell. I'll just find some place else then."

            "I'm really sorry--" Kogure began, but Mitsui waved him off.

            "Forget it. It's not your fault. Take care of yourself when you're there all right?"

            "I will," Kogure promised.

            "Say…….where is it that you're going to again?" 

            Kogure face-faulted.

Mitsui kicked a stray can aside as he strode down the deserted alley. He didn't know why, but dark, dirty alleys appealed to him- maybe because it reminded him of his old gangster days. Not that they were old exactly. Was it only several months ago that he gave up all that for basketball? It seemed so long ago………………

            He felt a slight pang of guilt as he realized that he was reminiscing about the old days. Well, hell, he did miss it all. It was fun hanging out with the boys. They lived on a precipice- they could have been caught or convicted for many offences and he came so close to expulsion from school. Not that he'd cared. Truth be told, he didn't care much about anything then. Then Anzai sensei came…………………..

            "Screw it man!" he cursed angrily at himself, "you sound like some fag getting all mushed up and sentimental!"

            His sudden outburst was met only by silence and that comforted him little. 

            "Know what? I'm going home!" he told the silence.

Sendoh Akira whistled cheerfully as he came out of the store lugging bags of groceries. It was his turn to do the shopping that week and he'd gladly obliged- anything to avoid babysitting the neighbor's kid. He had nothing against children of course, just this particular one.

            Besides, it was fun choosing all those vegetables.

            He caught sight of a new outlet that had opened- Sundaes Everyday- where every day's a Sundae! Sendoh couldn't help but snort at the lame name. Still, the ice cream parlor looked inviting, so he caved in to temptation and entered the store.

            Mitsui knew he was supposed to go home. He should be at home and getting ready for work, but he didn't feel up to it. Not when he was supposed to work at that stupid new store which sold ice cream sundaes. It was the only job available, and seeing that he was desperately in need for cash, he had grabbed it without thinking twice. Till now that is.

            "Stupid yellow aprons. Stupid little bunnies. Stupid smiling sun," he grumbled as he thought of the uniform hanging in his cupboard. 

            Sighing, he followed where his feet, and head, led him- home. 

            Minutes later, a none-too-pleased Mitsui reported for work, arriving just in the nick of time. The manager welcomed him with a wide smile and told him, very nicely, that he was to serve at the counter. 

            "I'm so glad you're here! And on time too! I'm impressed at your punctuality! Just go and take over from Takeshi there- his shift's before yours- and serve the ice creams! Easy peasy! I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time!" squealed the manager excitedly.

            Mitsui forced a smile and did as he was told. Takeshi gave him a wink as he took over. 

            "Smile!" he chided Mitsui.

            Mitsui rolled his eyes. Good grief, he just stepped into loony land.

"A triple fudge sundae with cute little sprinkles on top please!" the little boy ordered.

            "One triple fudge sundae with cute little sprinkles coming right up!" Mitsui beamed at the boy and immediately busied himself with preparing the order. As much as he hated to admit it, this was fun. The children's smiles as they ordered were contagious- and he'd found himself smiling in no time.

            "Here you go," he gave the boy his sundae, "that'll be 300 yen please!"

            The boy counted out his cash and, finding enough, handed them over to Mitsui proudly.

            "Thank you! Please come again!" Mitsui bowed slightly. His next customer was a girl. Mitsui gave her an extra-friendly smile. Girls always fell for that smile. And, true enough, this one was no exception.

            "Anou……….." the girl stammered, cheeks turning red, "can I have a vanilla ice cream please?"

            "Most certainly!" Mitsui bowed, and returned with the order only seconds later.

            "Arigatou…………" the girl was visibly trembling now.

            "Please come again!" he curtsied teasingly.

            The girl nodded and scurried out of the shop.

            "Teasing little girls I see," said a voice.

            Mitsui glanced up from his curtsy. He felt his cheeks turn red.

            "Sendoh. What are you doing here?" he said, straightening up immediately. 

            Sendoh laughed good-naturedly. "I came in to see you curtsy one more time and," his eyes twinkled as he took in the apron Mitsui was wearing, "to see you in that cute little apron."

            "Urusai!" Mitsui flushed, more than a little embarrassed. Of all people to see him in this state it just had to be Ryonan's ace! He was Mitsui Hisashi- the cutest MVP of all time! Not some…………erm, this person that he was, selling sundaes and donning an apron!

            "It's part of the uniform," he found himself saying in self-defense. Even to his own ears it sounded lame. 

            "Oh? I thought that was your everyday ensemble," Sendoh chuckled.

            Mitsui shot him a glare that would have melted ice. "Haha. Very funny. What do you want?" he snapped.

            "A triple fudge sundae with nuts, cherries and some cream on top. And maybe some M&M's."

            Mitsui grunted. "Right." He set to work on the order immediately.

            "Or maybe not."

            "What? Okay, what do you want then?" he bit back a caustic remark. There were kids in the shop. 

            "Mocha with little chocolate bits on top would be nice."

            "Mocha and chocolate bits. Got it," Mitsui repeated, "Cup or cone?"

            "Cup."

            Mitsui reached out for a cup.

            "No. Make it a cone."

            Mitsui's arm veered for the cone instead.

            "Um, no. Both?"

            Mitsui almost lost it. "Will you make up your mind?!!!!!!!!"

            "I want both," sniffed Sendoh.

            "You can't have both you idiot! It's one or the other!"

            "You decide then," pouted Sendoh.

            Mitsui glared at him in disgust, completely ignoring the cute little pout on the Ryonan player's face.

            "Here. And for that you owe me 1 000 000 yen!" Mitsui thrust the cone at the other boy.

            "1 000 000? Demo………….I don't have that kind of money Mitsui-san!" whimpered Sendoh pathetically.

            "Good grief! Are you really Sendoh Akira?!!!!" Mitsui threw his hands up in exasperation.

            "You doubt my identity?"

            "I doubt my sanity," came the sarcastic reply.

            Sendoh laughed. "All right all right! Here's 500 yen. Keep the change," he relented.

            Mitsui rolled his eyes. "And what am I supposed to do with the extra cash?"

            "Go buy yourself some water or something," Sendoh replied nonchalantly, as he opened the parlor door.

            "Water?" Mitsui blinked, "Why water?"

            "To cool your temper."

            "NANDATO??!!!!!!!" 


	2. i'll count myself lucky

_'Maybe running away from home wasn't such a good idea.' _Mitsui sighed as he packed all the earthly belongings that he'd lugged with himfrom home. '_At least at home I needn't worry about money and lodgings.'  _He'd considered going back many times before but there was always that part of him holding him back.

"Well, I guess that's about it," he stretched himself and surveyed the empty room where he'd been living the past five months. "Tomorrow, I'll figure out where I'll stay next. For now, I'm going to bed."

Settling himself on the hard, broken mattress, he fell into a dreamless sleep- one of the many he'd had since years ago.

            _"Hisashi! Why are you doing this?" came his mother's pleading voice._

_            "I just don't want to talk about it all right?" he snapped._

_            "I don't understand Hisashi! What's wrong with you?"_

_            He felt himself turn rigid. "There's nothing wrong with me mother! I'm fine! Just go away!"_

_            "I'm getting your father!"  
            Mitsui swallowed the lump is his throat as he replied, "There's no need to disturb him mother! I'm fine!"  
            "But you've been acting so different lately! Is there anything wrong?"_

_            "For the last time mother, there is nothing wrong with me!" he yelled, angry with her for prying into his affairs._

_"I'm leaving this damn place! My life stinks. This family stinks. I'm leaving!" he hauled his bag over the sill before he dropped lightly down on his feet from his second-floor bedroom._

_            As he snuck away, he passed the study where his mother and father were talking. He could hear snatches of their conversation that was, as he'd expected, about him._

_            "Hisashi's teacher called me at the office to tell me he's been skipping school for the fifth time in a row now," came the deep baritone of his father's voice._

_            "Fifth time?" his mother was shocked, "Are you certain?"_

_            "He's been caught smoking within the school premises and mingling with some punks from another class. He's failed all his tests and has never submitted a completed assignment since term started. You tell me if I'm certain!" his father's voice was bitter and Mitsui could just imagine the way his cigar was clenched in his fist in agitation._

_            "I tried talking to him but he told me to go away!" his mother started to cry, her body shaking violently._

_            Mitsui couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for his mother. What had she ever done to deserve this? He shook the feeling away- determined not to let anything weaken his resolve to run away._

_            "He doesn't even go for basketball practice anymore. The boy, Kogure, called. Apparently our son hasn't attended a single practice session all week." His father went on._

_            "That's not like him at all!" sobbed his mother, burying her face in her hands. _

_Not like him at all. _

Mitsui woke up with a jolt at those words. As usual, as was routine, he had soaked the broken mattress with his sweat.

_'Hell, I can't get peace even in my sleep!' _he thought crossly, swinging his feet over the side of his bed and getting up. Abandoning the notion of ever getting some calm in slumber, he trudged to the bathroom, threw his clothes off and stood shivering under the freezing cold water for 15 whole minutes- by which time his teeth were chattering and his body, numb. 

            Another 15 minutes later saw him locking up the place for the very last time, bag slung carelessly over his shoulder, face grim. 

            "Time to get a roomie, Mitsui my man," he told himself.

            Rukawa couldn't sleep. He felt unusually restless that night so he decided to take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood- maybe even shoot some hoops. Basketball in hand, he headed towards the nearest court, which wasn't really that near, come to think of it. It was definitely not in the neighborhood- somewhere out of town. Hell, he had nothing better to do anyway and a walk around town in the dead of the night sounded like fun.

            A soft whistling interrupted the silence of the night as he strode through the sleeping estate. _'D'aho,'_ he thought immediately, '_who the hell could be whistling at this time of the night?' _

            As if in response to his thoughts, he saw a tall figure not far ahead. The few streetlights in the estate didn't help much in revealing the whistling stranger but Rukawa thought he saw a tinge of blue hair as the figure walked under a streetlight. His eyes widened in recognition. Making no effort to hide himself, Rukawa tailed the person, curiosity getting hold of him. What was _he_ doing here in the middle of the night?

Mitsui knew he was being followed. Not that he particularly cared. He wasn't afraid of getting beaten up- he'd been part of the crowd not too long ago, so he knew inside stuff. Which should be his ticket to getting out of the beating. And, if the fools were ass enough to mess with him- he'd teach them what Mitsui Hisashi was all about.

            So he let them follow him. 

            Rukawa was getting bored of this. It seemed like Mitsui wasn't going to stop anytime soon and he was losing interest. The worst thing was he felt like this was some sort of game they were playing. The guy HAD to know that he was being tailed- no one could be that stupid.

            He stopped. 

            Oddly enough, Mitsui also froze in his tracks.

            "Come out and fight like a man you little creep! I know you've been stalking me for the last 20 minutes! I'll teach you to mess with Mitsui Hisashi!" Mitsui declared arrogantly. Rukawa rolled his eyes and ignored him. "What's the matter? Ain't got no balls?" Mitsui taunted, settling on the mocking method to lure the stalker instead.

            "D'aho."

            Mitsui froze. Did he hear that correctly? "What did you say?"

            Rukawa sighed but obliged nonetheless, steeping out of the shadows and into the light. "D'aho."

            "Rukawa?" 

            Rukawa grunted in response. Minutes passed as they stared at each other in silence. Suddenly, without warning, Mitsui walked up to him and shook him by the shoulders, hard.

            "What the hell did you do that for? You've got some nerve stalking me around at this time! Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked the other boy.

            Rukawa felt his teeth chatter as he was shaken back and forth. He might be smaller in size, but Mitsui Hisashi was by no means, weaker. Slightly annoyed, he pushed the older boy away.

"D'aho."

Seriously, what was the kid doing out in town at 3 in the morning? He should be in bed damn it!   
Mitsui regarded the other boy suspiciously. "Are you running away from home?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Rukawa snorted, "D'aho."

"Well excuse me for asking!" huffed Mitsui.

"……."

They stared at each other, both clueless as what to say next. Predictably, Mitsui put an end to the uncomfortable silence._  
            _"Well, you get back to bed all right? I'll just be on my way……" Mitsui gave a slight wave of his hand and started off.

            "Sempai."

            Immediately he whirled around. "What?"

            "Go to bed."

            Mitsui snorted. "Bed? I have no bed," he answered bitterly, before turning to leave.   
            For the first time, Rukawa found he had no words to say, though he wanted very much to say something at that moment. When he finally found his tongue, Mitsui was long gone.

            The next day found Mitsui Hisashi the first student to arrive in Shohoku High. Not surprising, considering that he hadn't slept a wink the previous night, neither had he stopped to rest. Now, as the other students chatted as they entered their classes, Mitsui tried to catch some shuteye before lessons began. He was oblivious to everything around him- even the gang of boys who now stood staring at him as he slept. One reached out with a muscled hand and reached for the sleeping boy.

            "I know I know! I didn't do anything if that's what you want to know!" Mitsui yelped as he was shaken awake roughly. He blinked at his assailant then scowled in annoyance. "What the hell do you want?"

            The other boy smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Mitchan- didn't mean to scare you. We were just wondering where you were and found you asleep here."

            Mitsui's eyes flashed. "And?"

            "And well, we found you."

            Mitsui growled, "Get out of here and don't bother me."

            "Uh, okay. We're really sorry……" the boys backed out of class, looking sheepish.

            "Fools," grumbled Mitsui, settling himself into his chair again. He was about to drift off to dreamland when the sensei came in and roused him out of a promising sleep.

"Ohaio," replied Sensei as the class greeted him, including a drowsy Mitsui Hisashi, "before we start on today's lesson, I wish to announce a new scheme that will be implemented in Shohoku High. Some of you might welcome it gladly while others might not be as eager. Nevertheless, all of you will be required to participate in this program and, I'm sure that as it progresses, you'll find the program to be beneficial to all parties involved." He smiled round at the class.

            Mitsui grunted softly. _'Whatever it is I know it'll be dumb,' _he thought sourly.

            "To put it simply," Sensei beamed, "the third years, which means all of you, will tutor the first years."

            The reaction was instantaneous, and well, varied.

            "Tutor the first years? Sensei that's impossible!"

            "I object! We've got enough things to do without tutoring those horrors!"

            "Cool! It sounds pretty fun!"

            "I guess that's not too bad."

            "The first years are so cute! Maybe we'll even get to that cute boy from class 1/1!"

            "No! The one in 1/8's way cuter!"

            "Well, neither of them can beat that one from 1/10!"

            "Are you kidding? You won't stand a chance with him!"

            "Can we scrap the stupid scheme?"

            "Maybe we can try it awhile and if it doesn't work, maybe we can file a complaint to the headmaster."

            "That's the stupidest thing I've heard."

            Everyone turned to look at him.

            "What? It's a real waste of time if you ask me," snorted Mitsui.

            "Now why do you say so Mitsui?" asked Sensei nicely.

            "Because its dumb."

            "You'll never know till you've given it a shot."

            "I don't need to try it to know its stupid," rebuked Mitsui.

            Sensei shrugged and smiled, "Well, you might change your mind," he turned to the rest of the class, "I have the list of who's going to tutor whom. Its not exactly random since we gave some regard to the subjects involved but I assure you that it has nothing to do with setting anyone up and whatsoever."

            The boys in the class snickered, including Mitsui.

            "Mitsui Hisashi," Sensei began, "you'll be teaching Rukawa Kaede."

            Mitsui blinked. "I'm sorry?"

            "Rukawa Kaede? He'll be your tutee."

            Most of the girls whined at the injustice of it all.

            Mitsui shrugged, "Hell. It could've been worse. Could've been Sakuragi."

Mitsui made his way to the gym, deep in thought. So he was to tutor Rukawa thrice a week. Not as bad as he'd expected. Since the boy was always sleeping, it should be an easy job teaching him- he could catch up with lost sleep during those sessions as well. 

            The said boy was already there, shooting some hoops. Mitsui strode up to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

            "Rukawa."

            Rukawa grunted in acknowledgement. 

            "So, I guess we'll be seeing more of each other eh?" teased Mitsui, grinning.

            "Hnn."

            "NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Mitchy's going to teach the kitsune? NYAHAHAHAHA!! Be careful Mitchy! The kitsune has a contagious disease called 'stupidity'! NYAHAHAHA!! Not like the tensai!" Sakuragi pointed to himself proudly, "This tensai needs no tutors! The tensai is already a genius! NYAHAHAH--"

            His obnoxious laughter was cut short by a furious punch from a fuming gorilla. "BAKA MONGA! Of all the rotten luck that I have to be the one tutor you!"

            "NYAHAHAHAHA!!!! You should be honored to be assigned to the tensai Gori!!!!!" laughed Sakuragi.

            "BAKA MONGA!!!! Honored my foot! No matter how long I teach you, you'll never learn anything since your brain's the size of a pea!"

            "NANI GORI?!!!!!!"

            Mitsui chuckled and turned to Rukawa, his arm still around the other boy. "I guess I'm lucky, eh? Not to be the one to tutor Sakuragi."

            "Hnn." Obliged Rukawa noncommittally. 

              
  
            "I need to get a roomie," muttered Mitsui, "where the hell am I going to sleep tonight?"

            "Hey Mitsui-san, heard you got Rukawa as your tutee. I don't know whom to pity- you or him," sniggered Miyagi.

            "Shut up. At least I didn't get Sakuragi."

            "What's so bad about Hanamichi?" 

            Mitsui snorted, "That's like asking what's so good about Kogure."

            "I suppose," agreed Miyagi, grinning, "Where you off to, by the way?  See you're lugging one heck of big bag. What's inside? Your Sanrio™ collection?"

            "Oh, not Sanrio™. Its my Ultraman™ collection," came the sarcastic reply. Then an idea came to mind. "Hey Miyagi, mind if I crash at your place today?"

            "Today? I'm not sure….I don't have a spare room. Why?" asked Miyagi, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

            "Just asking," Mitsui answered off-handedly.

            "Sou. Since you're asking, why don't you try Hanamichi or Rukawa?"

            "Hey Rukawa, mind if I stay over at your house? I won't be there too long- only till I get a new place to stay. Is that okay?" asked Mitsui as they were packing up to go.

            Rukawa's first instinctive response was to say no, but something made him hold his tongue.

            _'Just say no. What's so hard about that?' _he told himself, but another part of him argued. 

_'You heard him last night. He doesn't have a bed. He doesn't have a place to stay.'_

_'How the hell would you know?'_

_'Why the hell would he be carrying such a huge bag otherwise?'_

_'So? What's it to you?'_

_'Nothing. But it doesn't hurt to be nice.'_

_'Nice? Since when was Rukawa Kaede ever nice?' _apart of him ridiculed.

_'Well, now's a good time as any to start,' _retorted another.

_'You're getting soft.'_

_'And you're getting annoying. Do me a favor and get lost.'_

_'Whatever softie.'_

_'Get. Lost.'_

Rukawa's inner turmoil must have somehow shown because Mitsui quickly added, "Its okay. I won't impose on you."

"Okay," said the other boy.

"Okay?" asked Mitsui, slightly puzzled.

"Okay."

Mitsui's eyes widened. "And I was willing to bet my life that you'd say no. So it's yes. Great! I owe you one!"

"Ikuso." Came the monotonous reply.

"Sempai."

"Huh?"

"Why."

Mitsui raised an eyebrow. "Why what? Don't talk in syllables. I can't answer if you don't make sense."

"Ask me."

"Much as I'd like to praise you for progressing, I have to say you still don't make sense."

"If you know."

Mitsui shook his head. "Nope."

"Answer."

"Still nope."

"………"

"Look, I hate to break this to you Rukawa, but you're still not making sense. Plus, you were doing so well- why'd you go back to one-word replies?"

Rukawa sighed. In some ways, Sempai was more unnerving than the d'aho. At least with the d'aho, all he'd had to do was provoke him with just the slightest grunt/gaze/sigh/whatever. With Sempai……well, he wasn't accustomed to him…..yet.

But that could change.

            "So you're just going to drop it huh? Well, you're a yellow-bellied chicken Rukawa Kaede! And you call yourself a man!" taunted Mitsui.

            "Baka."

            "NANI?!!!!" Mitsui rounded on him. "How dare you call me a baka! I'm your senior you little rascal!"

            "You started it."

            "I did not! If you had made sense in the first pla--" Mitsui's agitation gave way to amusement, "Hey! You spoke a complete sentence! Congratulations!" Mitsui smacked the younger boy on the back.

            Rukawa winced slightly. Mitsui tended to smack too hard, even if he didn't mean to. This might not be the most brilliant decision he'd made, after all. Already, he doubted his sanity, or lack of it. 

            _'Why, Rukawa Kaede? Why?'_


	3. the start of a rivalry? well, we'll just...

And here….the much anticipated third installment of Ao'iro…. *bows* thank you very much ^^\/

            I believe that all of you are progressing with your tutees?" asked Sensei nicely to the class of third-years.

            "We've almost covered the whole year's syllabus sensei!" boasted one boy.

            "Yeah? We're done already!" scoffed another.

            "You can't be serious!" squealed a girl, "It's only been two weeks!"

            "I'm done with everything," drawled a husky voice from the back.

            "You have?" Sensei tried not to let his surprise show. The boy was lounging comfortably on his chair, legs on the table, arms behind his head….acting as if he owned the world. Or at least the classroom. Sensei twitched. As far as the other teachers were concerned, Mitsui Hisashi was a delinquent. He was every teacher's nightmare. Well, he was tame compared to that Sakuragi Hanamichi and infinitely more responsive than Rukawa Kaede, but a nightmare, nonetheless. It wasn't just because the boy was aggravatingly sarcastic and had a wiseass mouth- it was mostly due to the fact that, much as they'd like, they couldn't do anything about him. Or to him, for that matter. He was, after all, the only child of Mitsui Eien, and everyone knew who Mitsui Eien was. In Sensei's case, he'd decided to give the boy a chance. Well, another chance actually, since he'd blown the million chances given him before. 

            "Yep. We've learnt the many different ways of sleeping, snoring and faking through all the activities under the sun. Except basketball of course," Mitsui added, almost as an afterthought.

            The class blinked. Sensei gave him a crooked smile.

            "Well, that's nice, but I was hoping you'd been doing something more productive."

            "Sounds productive enough to me. You wouldn't know how many different variations there are to sleeping. I mean, you can sleep while walking, sleep while talking, sleep while cooking, sleep whi--"

            Sensei cut him off. "You were supposed to teach your ward BIOLOGY and MATH."

            "Well, sleeping's biology isn't it? There's the conversion process going on, cellular repair……hell there's even physics and chemistry involved! And math! I keep score on the number of heartbeats, pulses, stomach contractions….you name it!"

            Sensei twitched. He most certainly twitched. 

            Mitsui smiled innocently at him.

            "OUT!!! TO THE HEADMASTER'S!!! NOW!!!!!"

            Mitsui sighed. _'Yare yare. This always happens to me. They keep threatening expulsion but it never happens.' _He loitered outside the office awhile before being summoned in.

            "Mitsui Hisashi." The voice sounded tired, and far from reproachful.

            "Yep. That's me." Mitsui flashed a megawatt smile at the man seated behind the stacks of papers. "You should hire another secretary and fire the current one. She's not much help is she?" he commented, eyeing the piles.

            "That isn't the point. Didn't we agree not to meet anymore?" asked the exasperated headmaster.

            "Well, I thought it only polite that I drop by once in a while."

            "This is the fourth time today."

            "True. I must miss you more than I'd thought."

            The headmaster resisted the compulsive urge to rub his aching temple. "Can't you drop by, say, after you graduate?"

            Mitsui shook his head. "Nope. I'd miss you too much."

            He sighed. "A month?"

            Another shake.

            "A week?"

            "Too long."

            "Three days?" suggested the headmaster helplessly.

            "Deal!"

            The balding man smiled wearily, and dismissed him. He had to attend to the documents- they were pressing matters- but if this boy was going to disrupt him every other hour, then may God save his soul. 

            Mitsui's hand was on the doorknob when the old man asked something that had been on his mind for a while now.

            "Why Shohoku? Why not Kainan or Shoyo?"

            Mitsui opened the door and stepped through before answering over his shoulder. 

            "Anzai Sensei."

            Rukawa came home to a messy apartment. Correction, a **very **messy apartment. Wasn't it just this morning that he'd tidied the whole place up? He remembered sweeping up the popcorn from the floor, and washing the dishes in the sink. And he also remembered clearing the table and sweeping the floor. What was this then? His cleaning had been futile. Wasted. **He **had messed everything up again.

            Rukawa stormed angrily through the bits of popcorn and Pocky™ sticks on the floor. The culprit was singing in the shower, blissfully unaware of his approaching doom.

            "Kaze ni nare kazu eino distress~~" sang Mitsui feelingly.

            _'Oh, you'll be distressed all right,' _thought Rukawa evilly as he kicked open the door.

            "~~ oritachi no so--" Mitsui jumped a mile high at the sound, "Bloody hell! What happened to the damn…….." he froze. As did Rukawa.

            They stared at each other for about five seconds before Mitsui recovered and started hurling profanities at the other boy. He grabbed his towel and hastily wrapped it around his waist.

            "Screw it Rukawa! What the hell is your frigging problem?!!"

            Rukawa blinked. He was still very much in a state of shock. Seeing his sempai bare was, um, a first. 

            "Oi! I'm talking to you! What the hell is wrong with your tongue?!!"

            _'I'm sorry but I think I might have bitten it off,'_ his inner voice said sarcastically. Audibly, he replied, "Baka."

            "What the @*#%@(*$&?!!!!! I'm the victim here!!!! **You** storm in on me showering and call **me** a baka? Some nerve you got!"

            Rukawa mumbled another "baka," before practically fleeing from the bathroom into the solitude of his bedroom. Slamming the door shut, he leaned against it, panting heavily. 

            Five minutes later, he looked up and caught sight of himself in the mirror. 

The blush still stained his pale cheeks.

            Mitsui grumbled as he put on his clothes. What the hell did the boy think he was doing, walking in on him like that? It was embarrassing. Not that he was feeling particularly humiliated or anything. He was a pretty open guy so these things weren't really so….controversial? Anyhow, Rukawa seemed to have been more embarrassed, though why he should be Mitsui could not fathom. His face had flared up immediately. Maybe he was one of those more conservative ones.

            Anyhow, Mitsui yanked on his jeans and grabbed his working apron from the clothesline. He was working the evening shift today at the store. _'There probably wouldn't be too many kids…' _he thought listlessly. Funnily enough, he found that the pull to the job was the children. He didn't know he was good with children till he started work at the store. They were cute little angels, with the occasional devil. Er, perhaps it was the other way. They were cute little devils with the occasional angel, and he found that they took his mind off a lot of things, which was a blessing really. 

            He whistled all the way to work.

            Rukawa peered from behind the door. After listening attentively for about 5 minutes, he eventually concluded that the other boy had really left and was nowhere within the apartment. Relieved, he stepped out of his room. 

            Surveying the mess, he sighed and began to tidy up.

            Sendoh was in town again. He'd manage to persuade Koshino to accompany him to get a new pair of slacks, and now that they'd done the errand, they were walking around, hoping to find some form of entertainment. Koshino was grumbling about how the train ride to Shohoku was not justified by the errand they had to do. The ride took about a quarter of an hour, while the slacks…… less than 5 minutes. So, Koshino, being Koshino, thought it only sensible(and economical) that they hang out awhile longer there. Sendoh was more than happy to oblige.

            "Ne, Hiro-kun, there's that sundae store that opened up a few weeks back. The ice cream's really great. Can we get some, huh? Can we?" 

            Koshino looked at him irritably. "Sundaes aren't cheap you know," he snapped.

            "Aw, come on! It'll be my treat! Really! You don't have to pay a cent!" insisted Sendoh.

            Koshino grudgingly agreed. "Well, all right I guess."

            "And you know what? Mitsui-san works there as well!"

            Koshino raised an eyebrow at his friend as he was dragged along.

            "Here's your order miss, hope you enjoy it! Don't forget- its Sundaes Everyday! Where every day's a sundae!" Mitsui smiled while bowing slightly before addressing the next customer. "And how may I help you……..Sendoh? What are you doing here? And…...you've brought along that friend of yours…..erm…… Koshi-something right?" he exclaimed in surprise.

            "Koshino," grumbled Koshino, mildly annoyed that the other boy didn't remember.

            "Right. Koshino. What brings you to town?" he asked cheerfully.

            "Stupid Sendoh wanted some slacks."

            Mitsui's face broke into a grin. "Ah. Okay. So, what does Stupid Sendoh want? Unless he's too stupid to decide of course."

            Koshino rolled his eyes. "I'll go get a table." 

            "Oh, that's okay, really. The table's not going anywhere," cracked Mitsui.

            Koshino growled while Sendoh looked amused. "I want a triple fudge sundae," he told Sendoh before storming off in a huff.

            "Don't mind him Mitsui-san, Hiro-kun's always like that. He's actually a really nice guy," Sendoh smiled apologetically after his friend had gone.

            "Right. Why are you apologizing for him?"

            "No reason."

            "Ah. Okay. So what will you have?"

            "What do you recommend?"

            "Weeeeellllll, I would say the cinnamon flavoured one. Real nice."

            "All right. I'll have that one then." Sendoh responded without hesitation.

            "No kidding? You're not going to try it first?" Mitsui raised an eyebrow.

            "Can I?"

            "Why not?" Mitsui handed him a small cup.

            "Ummmm…….nice….." Sendoh licked his lips. "I definitely want that."

            "All right. One cinnamon delight and triple fudge sundae coming right up!"

            "You know, Mitsui-san, I really think the apron suits you," remarked Sendoh as he admired the other boy in his work clothes.

            "Shut up Sendoh. We went through this before," warned Mitsui, preoccupied with filling out the order.

            "I know, but I can't help saying it again. It looks real cute on you."

            "I appreciate the compliment, but I hope you'll stop commenting on it. It's bad enough that it has frills and little bunnies. It has to be yellow of all colors!" complained Mitsui, adding the fudge to Koshino's sundae.

            "What's wrong with yellow?"

            "It's such a happy color damn it! I feel like a loony in this shop!" _'Not that I mind,' _he thought.

            "You seem to be enjoying yourself though," teased Sendoh.

            "Shut up."

            "Admit it. You like dressing up in frills and kawaii little rabbits and yellow aprons and a huge yellow sun!" taunted Sendoh playfully.

            "So what if I do?" challenged Mitsui defiantly, pausing awhile while working on Sendoh's order.

            "Ahah! So you do like dressing up in frills and kawaii little rabbits and yellow aprons and a huge yellow sun!" 

            Mitsui rolled his eyes. "Think whatever you like Sendoh."

            "Plus, you're cracking such painfully lame jokes here!" the younger boy pointed out.

            "Who's lame?!!!!" Mitsui growled at the boy.

            "Well, since we're talking about you, and no one else, well, I guess it has to be you who's lame," Sendoh replied carelessly.

            "Here are your sundaes. Now get out of my sight."

            "What? No 'Sundaes Everyday' speech for me?" gasped Sendoh in mock horror.

            "Get lost Sendoh."

            And the boy obliged, a huge grin plastered on his face as he carried the tray to their table outside.

            Koshino glared at him as he sat down.

            "What?" asked Sendoh innocently.

            "You were flirting with him," accused Koshino.

            "I was not!"

            "I was watching you the whole time! You were flirting with him!"

            "Maybe. But so what? You jealous Hiro-kun?"

            "BAKA! Of course not! It just means that I have to warn Mitsui-san to stay away from you!"

            "Now why would you do that?" asked the boy, feigning innocence and naïvete.

            "Because I know how you are, Sendoh Akira. Once you've set your eyes on someone, you're not going to stop till you get him."

            Sendoh sighed and shook his head. "Ah. You know me so well Hiro-kun."

            "I wish I didn't," grumbled the other. 

            Mitsui yawned as he walked through the dimly lit streets. It was past midnight and the streets were deserted. The thought of his nice, cozy bed at home made him pick up his pace. Or rather, Rukawa's nice, cozy bed.

            _'Nice of Rukawa to put up with me for so long,' _he mused, _'he could have thrown me out anytime but I don't hear him complaining. Of course, not that I hear him much.' _Mitsui chuckled to himself. His teammate was like a mute- grunting and snorting every so often, and choosing to open his mouth only when deemed necessary.

            Their apartment block came into view. "I'll take a nice warm shower before I settle down for some beauty sleep," Mitsui told himself as he waited for the elevator, "it's Saturday anyhow, and I don't have to get up till late."

            He was still making plans for tomorrow when he unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment. There was a slight 'click' as Rukawa's bedroom door shut. Mitsui raised an eyebrow. Was the boy waiting up for him? _'Nah, not possible.'_ He shrugged it off and went to his room.

            Minutes later, Rukawa lay in his bed, listening to Mitsui's soft singing in the shower. He had, for some reason, stayed up to wait for his sempai.

            Now that he was home, Rukawa's eyelids suddenly felt very heavy and he dropped off to a peaceful sleep.

            "Moshi moshi?" Rukawa answered the persistent ringing of the phone. It was only nine in the morning damn it! Who would be crack enough to call at nine on a Saturday morning? 

            "Mitsui-san? It's me, Sendoh. Did I just wake you up or something? Were you planning to sleep in late?" Sendoh's cheery morning voice spilled out over the receiver.

            Rukawa sat up abruptly, more awake than before. What did Sendoh want with Sempai?

            "Mitsui-san? You there?"

            Rukawa grunted in what he hoped sounded like Mitsui's deprecating style. His curiosity was getting the better of him When did Sempai have anything to do with the porcupine?

            "I guess you're not up to talking yet huh?" Rukawa could actually **hear **Sendoh's smile, "Well that's okay. I just wanted to ask if you're still mad over yesterday," Rukawa's ears perked up at the word. _'Yesterday? They were together yesterday?' _

"I know you're not, I mean, you're such a forgiving person, right Mitsui-san?" 

_'Forgiving? Sempai?' _thought Rukawa ludicrously.

            "Anyhow, are you free today? I was wondering if we could have a game of basketball or something."

            "D'aho." Rukawa slammed the phone down, not caring whether Sendoh recognized his voice. So the porcupine was after Sempai. Well, he'll just have to see to that………

Hitora-san-  well, I sure I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter! ^^;; 

Megane-chan-  ano….. ^^;; that's really hard to say. See, I never thought about it- I just wanted him there for that purpose. Ehe. Wakateruu. I know I don't make sense. Suman. ^^;;

qkslvr-  sou da naa~~ much obliged! ^^

doujin-  really? I hope I don't disappoint then! It's Sendoh so it's um, expected??!! /lol/  Mitchy's the best, ne? 

Hanabi Reeza- *squeal* you're a MitSen fan too?!!!! KYAAAA!! This is just so wonderful! *glomps Reeza-san*

Unquestionable-  *sigh* if every guy selling sundaes was like Mitchy….. I'd be the first in line!!!!! 

jess- miranda-  awwww, how can I not oblige when you've asked so nicely? *pat pat* sou? I'll bet the stores'll be crammed to the brim if Mitchy was there! /lol/ A Mitchy lover? YAY!!!!! 

Hisashi loves Yelen-  gee, thanks loads for the compliment. It's not as much my flair for writing as Mitchy's charm. He exudes such sexiness….. *sigh* Oh, before we go all gooey-eyed on him, let me say that Mitsui Hisashi deserves not only the MVP title, but also MGP, MHP, MCP(um, not the way most people'd see it of course.) Go figure! ^^

Mayumi-  thankies!! *huggles*  of course the story's getting somewhere- it has to right? Surely no one writes a stagnant story…. Ehe, well I do. Sometimes. There. I've just contradicted myself for the millionth time. ^^;;

KISS rocks-  well I don't know about you, but I don't think you rock. I'm a real nice person see, and I hate to bitch and claw, but if you're not going to give anything constructive on my review page then I'm gonna have to ask you to say…. GET LOST?!!?!! Ahahaha~ now that wasn't so bad now was it? ^^\/

Rikku::Lenne::Paine::Leviathan- whew! What a typeful! LOL. Thanks loads for the comliment! *huggles*


	4. the toast that changed everything

            "Hey Rukawa," Mitsui said, casually draping an arm around the other boy, "I think we should start on some lessons."

            "Hnn."

            "You know, real lessons. Not sleeping lessons. I'm really grateful to you for teaching me all that though. Damn useful stuff. Anyhow, we should start on math already."

            The other boy only grunted in response.

            "All right, where's your textbook? Let's get started on it now, shall we?"

            "Lost." Rukawa whispered under his breath.

            "What's that you say?" Mitsui looked at him quizzically.

            "I lost my book."

            "Uh, okayyyy. Well, what about biology?"

            Rukawa grunted.

            "Lost that one too, eh? Well, so much for my good initiative." Mitsui looked around the house. There seemed to be nothing to do at home.

            "Let's go out!" he suggested brightly.

            "No."

            "Oh come on! It'll be fun! Let's catch a movie or something!"

            "No."

            "Pachinko?"

            "I'm not allowed."

            "Well I am. Let's go there then!" and with that he dragged a very reluctant Rukawa out of the house.

            _'This is stupid,' _he thought, as they made their way to the Pachinko parlor. 

            "Sempai?" he said, his voice barely audible.

            _'How the hell am I going to sneak him into the Pachinko without anyone noticing?' _

"Sempai?"

            _'If he tried to enter the Pachinko before, then the guard will surely recognize him. But since today's a weekend, the guard will probably be one of those kids from the local university. So we might just be able to slip in--'_

"Sempai." His voice was louder now.

            The other boy still seemed too caught up in his thoughts to have heard him. _'Or we could just walk in through the front door. The guard will probably just ask for my identification and think Rukawa's probably the same age as I am. Yeah, that's it. We'll go in by the front like we've nothing to hide. I've nothing to hide anyway. But does Rukawa pass for an 18-year-old?' _He turned to scrutinize the boy carefully, not really seeing his face. 

            Mitsui grunted. _'Maybe he'll pass.'_

"Sempai." The other boy was still trying to rouse him out of his thoughts, "Sempai."

            _'So we'll just go up to the guard and show himmmmm--' _Rukawa's arm shot out to shake him roughly by the shoulders. Mitsui narrowed his eyes at the other boy, his arm on one of his, a warning to stop. "What the hell are you doing boy? Can't you see I'm thinking?"

            "I've been calling you for the last 5 minutes." Came the deadpanned reply.

            "So?"

            "I'm tired of waiting."

            "Well if you were two years older then we wouldn't have to wait now, would we?" argued Mitsui childishly, "If you didn't want to go to the Pachinko we could be doing something else now, wouldn't we?"

            "I never said I wanted to."

            "You never said you didn't want to!"

            "I did."

            "You did?"

            Nod.

            "Oh." Pause. "Well I don't remember."

            "Hnn."

            They stood staring at the Pachinko, just around the corner. 

            "What do you want to do then?"

            "Nothing."

            "You drag me all the way to town and you decided to do nothing?!!" Mitsui flared.

            Rukawa sighed. The other boy seemed to get his facts all muddled up very often. Oh well. It was up to him, Super Rookie, to save the day.

            "Sempai dragged me here."

            "I did?" Mitsui looked stunned.

            Nod.

            "Uh okay then. We'll do what I want then."

            Rukawa simply shrugged his shoulders and decided to succumb to his inevitable fate. Oh, his cruel, cruel fate.

            "Mitchy! Kitsune!" a loud voice boomed across the street. 

            "D'aho." 

            "TEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was miraculous how Sakuragi could have heard the offensive remark all the way across the street. 

            Mitsui smirked. Maybe the morning was going to be more interesting than he thought. 

            "Oi Mitchy, what are you doing here with the kitsune?" asked the redhead as he crossed the road over to them.

            "Wanted to get some breakfast. What're you doing here?"

            "HAH! The tensai doesn't need to tell Mitchy and the kitsune his plans! NYAHAHAHA!!!!"

            "D'aho."

            "TEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sakuragi rounded on his nemesis. "You're just sour that the tensai won't tell you that he has an ingenious plan!!!!!!" 

            "D'aho."

            "URUSAI KITSUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're just jealous that the tensai has a brilliant, foolproof plan on how to get into the Pachinko and won't tell you!!!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Sakuragi threw his head back and howled with laughter. Most passers-by avoided their side of the street.

            "D'aho. You just did."

            Sakuragi stopped his maniacal laughter abruptly and glared at the pale boy. "TEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            Mitsui sniggered. "Idiot."

            "URUSAI MITCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            Rukawa glanced at his senior as the other boy snorted into his orange juice for the thirteenth time. Automatically, he held out a serviette, which the boy grabbed and immediately blew into.

            "Danks." Mitsui sniffled. 

            Rukawa nodded and resumed eating his French toast.

            A minute later a piece of foreign toast invaded his plate. He looked up to see Mitsui choking on his toast, his face rapidly turning blue.

            Alarmed, Rukawa got up and swiftly moved over to his sempai, smacking his back hard. That only served to send the other boy into worse fits. Thinking fast, Rukawa grabbed the other boy's collar and yanked him to his feet. Mitsui choked harder as he was nearly strangled, but Rukawa took no notice as he dragged his sempai out the café. Leading him to the alley next to it, Rukawa suddenly grabbed the older boy's legs and held him upside down, hoping to induce a reverse-action peristalsis movement. 

            It didn't work. One moment, Mitsui's face was blue, the next, red, as the blood rushed to his head, and still the toast remained lodged in his throat. He looked like he was going to throw up anytime so Rukawa lowered him to the ground and set him up straight. The boy was unsteady on his feet, and one hand was over his mouth, the other stretched out before him to stabilize his wobbly feet. Rukawa did the most humane thing he'd ever done- he helped Mitsui to throw up the stubborn toast.

            Grabbing Mitsui into a tight bear hug from behind, he squeezed the other boy with all his might…… and the troublesome toast came flying out. Mitsui stopped choking and went limp. It seemed like the little piece of trouble had drained a lot of his energy.

            "T-thanks…." He whispered hoarsely, a weak smile on his face. Then he blacked out in Rukawa's arms. 

            Rukawa was debating with himself whether to bring Mitsui home, or to finish up his breakfast (which was undoubtedly getting cold) first. Finally, he decided that breakfast could come by another time, but getting his sempai to his senses was not something that would happen everyday. So, Rukawa, holding up an unconscious Mitsui, headed home.

            But not before being sighted by a gang of delinquents who followed him home.

            He laid Mitsui gently on his bed. **His **bed, not Mitsui's, since he found the boy's bed to be unfit to be slept in- what with all his clothes strewn about and bits of cookies here and there, not to mention Qoo™ stains on the sheets (not that he could tell it was Qoo™ just by looking- the smell was more than enough proof). Mitsui immediately curled up into a cute, fetal position on the bed and Rukawa observed his sempai in silence as he slept. 

            He was beginning to nod off to dreamland as well, when he heard his door practically being rammed down. He got to his feet just as a group of boys burst into his apartment, eyes gleaming in anticipation of a fight.

            Rukawa's eyes narrowed. That door was going to cost a lot to repair and there was no way in hell he was paying for it. 

            "What did you do to Mitchan?" one of them snarled menacingly.

            Rukawa restrained himself from rolling his eyes. 

            "How dare you!!!! Do you know we're older than you?"

            Again he tried not to roll his eyes.

            "Insult us eh? We'll see about that!" He motioned with a cock of his head and the rest lunged for Rukawa, fists raised and crying battle cries. 

            Mitsui woke up when a hand shook him gently awake. 

            "Mitchan…..Mitchan….Oi….."

            He sat up groggily and tried to concentrate on the face before him. 

            "Hnhmph?" he mumbled, shaking his head awake. There were images swimming right before his eyes and it made him giddy.

            "Mitchan……..you're all right….." said the voice, relief evident in his tone.

            "Nori?" Mitsui squinted.

            The boy nodded.

            "What's going on?" he heard the thumps and crashes coming from outside, as well as the roars of fury that made him get to his feet in alarm.

            Nori held him steady. "The boys are beating him up, don't worry."

            "Beating who up?" A horrid feeling of dread crept into him.

            "The boy. Rukawa. We saw him dragging you out of an alley and followed him home."

            Mitsui was fully awake now. "BAKA!!!!!!!!" 

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?!!!!" he roared at the mess of bodies and limbs in the front room.

            Everyone froze. They looked at him meekly, everyone, except Rukawa who threw one boy off him.       

            "Mitchan?" they asked, their voices small.

            "Answer the frigging question damn it!!!!!!"

            "Uh, well--" they began, all eyes on the floor.

            "We saw him carry you off….." began one.

            "Thought he'd beat you up or something…" continued another.

            "Wanted to teach him a lesson….." mumbled someone else.

            They fell silent.

            Mitsui laughed bitterly. "Rukawa? Beat me up?" Even to their ears it sounded ridiculous.

            "Well, he beat you up once before, he might beat you up again…." 

            "……thought it safer if we teach him something now….since there's no Sakuragi with him…."

            "You looked like you were beaten up, Mitchan. It got us all panicking," Nori explained from behind him.            

            Mitsui turned to him. "Get out of here. We'll talk about this tomorrow."

            Shamefaced, the seven of them filed out of the house, head drooping.

            "The door." Rukawa pointed out, his head streaming with blood.

            Mitsui nodded, and yelled after them. "You guys had better pay for the door!"

            Mitsui turned to the bleeding boy. "You all right Rukawa?" he asked, eyeing the boy's badly beaten body. There were bruises everywhere on his pale skin.

            Rukawa nodded. 

            "Want me to call a doctor?"

            Rukawa shook his head.

            "Sure you'll be fine? I'm not very good at dressing wounds and," Mitsui reached up to inspect the gash on his forehead, "this looks bad."

            Rukawa winced at the contact, and his hand immediately flew up to grip Mitsui's.

            "What's the matter? It hurts doesn't it? I really think I should call the doctor. You might--" But Rukawa wasn't listening. He was swaying on his feet. Mitsui tried to stabilize him but the boy was much taller than he was and brought him down as well.

            Pinned under his dead weight, Mitsui looked down helplessly at Rukawa, whose head rested on his chest. Sighing, he reached down to stroke the boy's hair.

            "Stubborn bastard aren't you?" he said, affectionately.

            Rukawa woke up in the middle of the night. He was in bed and had been washed and dressed. His hand flew automatically to his forehead where he felt a bandage wrapped around his gashing wound. His body ached. His stomach growled. Slipping quietly out of bed, he almost didn't see Mitsui leaning against the wall. He had been keeping watch on the boy ever since and looked spent, but there he was, sleeping, while standing guard. The corners of his mouth twitched. His sempai had learnt well.

            Rummaging through the refrigerator, he found some sandwiches that weren't there before. His sempai had obviously made them for dinner, and had left some for him. How considerate. He ate his midnight snack in the darkness of his kitchen, drowning his sandwiches with some milk, fresh from the carton. Full, he made his way back to his room.

            Mitsui hadn't moved. He was still there, hands tucked into his pockets, leaning casually against the wall. Rukawa shook him slightly. The boy didn't stir. 

            "Sempai." He shook the boy harder. 

            Still nothing.

            "Sempai." Rukawa poked him in the ribs, jolting Mitsui out of Noddyland. 

            "Wha--?" Mitsui looked around, immediately attentive, "Oh. It's you." He smiled at him. "How's your head?"

            "Fine."

            "That's good to hear. I hope I didn't wrap it up too tight. I've never been trained in first aid before," he laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Go back to bed then. You need to rest your head."

            "Sempai?" 

            "I'll just stand here in case you need anything."

            When next he woke, Rukawa found he wasn't alone in his bed. Mitsui was curled up next to him, obviously too tired to stay up and keep watch. He stared at his sempai's face- peaceful, almost serene, in his slumber. There was an air of innocence around him and Rukawa found himself thinking how adorable he looked when he was not busy yelling or sniggering or accusing people of false offences. _'Of course,'_ Rukawa mused, _'he looks cute even then but I like him better when he's quiet.'_

            Covering the other boy with his blanket, Rukawa got up to fix them some breakfast.

            Mitsui practically hopped into the kitchen. "I smell pancakes!" he declared happily.

            "Morning sempai."

            "Good morning to you too! I see you're healing fast!" he greeted cheerfully, settling himself into one of the seats at the counter. "Need a hand?"

            "I'm done." Rukawa placed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

            Mitsui's eyes widened. "Whoa." Was all he said before he dug into the perfectly-done pancakes. 

            It was the perfect start to a potentially perfect day.

            Then Sendoh had to call.  


	5. the confusion that arises in all of us s...

To my dear reviewers…….

unchained- yay! Another one for RuMit! XP~~~ personally, I think the 2 of them are sooooooo  compatible….somehow ^^;; or maybe I'm just biased. haha. anyhow, SenRu? me? write? nah. firstly, I can't write that. secondly, even if I did, it'll be horrid. I'm no fan of senru so a fic by me would be too…..unnatural. ^^;; um, that the right word? demo! I love sen and ru! just not the pairing. don't get me wrong ne? 

hitora-san- aw, you flatterer. *blush* haha, knew you'd like that. hana's so adorable- how can he NOT make an appearance?!!!

megane-chan- lol. you should know better than anyone how slow Rukawa is in making a move. I can die and resurrect five million times before he does anything that even vaguely resembles a hint. lol. not! ^^

hisashi loves yelen- and we wonder why Hisashi loves you. *huggles*

baka kitsune- I love mitchy too! So does hisashi loves yelen! who doesn't? anyone in their right mind would! XP~~

aki midori- awfully Rukawa-like you sound. hee hee. thanks for the encouragement! *huggles*

jess-miranda- yes, I'm sorry to disappoint but you're right. senru doesn't count here. heh. I'm awfully biased. it has to be mitsui, mitsui, and mitsui. ^^\/ 

twilight dawn- why thank you! he is isn't he? WHEN is mitsui hisashi not hot(and hilarious)? ^^

qkslvr- well that's tough. um, mitsui eien is mitchy's dad. more about him in future chapters. lol. wish I could fight for mitchy as well *sigh*

ruhana-grl1123- yup, I understood. ^^\/ I'm very clever you know. 

tensai yuki- yep. it was from ayashi no ceres. lol. easily identifiable ne? I don't know why but I REALLY like the song. and mitchy singing it? *swoon*

and here, I present to you…… chapter 5. tell me if it sucks. 

            Mitsui picked up the phone as he stuffed another helping of pancakes down his throat.

            "Mmmossshhi mmoshhhhi," he mumbled into the receiver, forcing the food down his throat.

            "Mitsui-san? Why are you talking like that?" came an amused voice over the line.

            "mmph'mm pheatin' panckakesth that'sth why."

            "Huh?"

            Mitsui swallowed the last of his breakfast and cleared his throat before replying. "I'm eating pancakes."

            "Oh." The voice was silent awhile. Then, "Mitsui-san, you haven't answered me yet. Want to play one-on-one today?"

            "One-on-one? Sounds good. You set the time and place. I'm free the whole day."

            Sendoh perked up significantly at this. "Why don't we meet around four? At the park. That okay?"

            "Four at the park. Got it. Who's bringing the ball?"

            "Oh I will, not to worry."

            "I'm not worrying, I assure you," came the slightly amused reply.

            "R-right," Sendoh answered. Mitsui smiled at his tone of voice.

            "See you at four then. Jya." Mitsui replaced the phone in its cradle and resumed eating. He didn't notice that he was being stared at till midway through his next course. 

            "What?" he asked the boy, "There something on my face?"

            Rukawa answered stoically with a question of his own. "Who was that?"

            "That? Oh the caller?" Mitsui gulped down the glass of orange juice, "Sendoh."

            There was a flicker of something in the younger boy's eyes. Mitsui wasn't too sure what it was so he asked.

            "What's wrong with Sendoh?" 

            Rukawa stood up suddenly, startling him. Without replying, he walked to his room and closed the door. Mitsui stared after him. 

            "Correction. What's wrong with _him_?"

            _'Stupid Sendoh. Why must he always want what I want? Why must he fight with me over every thing? Worse, why do I sound like I'm jealous?' _Rukawa sighed in frustration. This was hopeless.

            _'Maybe because you are?' _that annoying voice again. 

            _'Not you. Can't you get lost for good?' _

_            'Who me? Nope. Sorry.'_

Rukawa glared at his reflection in the mirror. __

_            'There's no point glaring. It's not like you're going to make me disappear by doing that,' _the voice taunted, _'why don't you try it on someone else instead? Like maybe…… say…… Sendoh?'_

            Rukawa's eyes narrowed. _'You stay out of this.'_

_            'I can't. See, I'm very much concerned with your welfare. Besides, it's fun to watch you struggle.'_

_            'I'm not struggling!' _he hissed angrily.

            _'Keep telling yourself that and maybe you'll start to believe it.'_

_            'Go to hell.'_

_            'Yare yare~~~~'_

Rukawa ran his fingers through his hair. Why was he so bothered with what Mitsui did? It didn't make sense. Yes, he had done a good deed by letting the other boy crash his place but that didn't mean he was now entangled in his sempai's life. Far from it. 

            _'Why don't you just admit that you're starting to care about him?'_

_            'I don't care about anyone!' _Rukawa insisted stubbornly.

            _'Yeah? Why'd you let him stay here then? Why'd you help him out? Why'd you get angry when Sendoh wanted to talk to him? Why're you getting restless knowing he's in the next room probably thinking about Sendoh? Huh? Ever thought of that?' _the voice challenged.

            _'Shut up!'_

_            'I can't and I won't till you face the truth Rukawa.'_

_            'There's no truth! I don't care about anyone and I most certainly do not care about HIM!'_

_            'Whatever Rukawa, whatever you say.'_

His inner voice disappeared, but still he felt uneasy. 

            "I don't care about anyone. I don't. And I don't care what happens to him." He told himself firmly.

            Mitsui lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was still early….. not even eleven yet. He sighed, rolled over and picked up the phone.

            Punching in some numbers, he waited for someone to pick up.

            "Moshi moshi?"

            Mitsui breathed in sharply but didn't say a word.

            "Moshi moshi? Moshi moshi?" the person repeated.

            Mitsui covered the mouthpiece so his breathing wouldn't be heard.

            "Is this a prank call? If it is, it isn't very good," the voice said annoyed, "my son plays better pranks."

            Mitsui felt a sharp jab in his heart. He wanted so very much to say something, but he was too much of a coward.

            "I'm hanging up." The line went dead. Mitsui held the phone to his ear a while longer, listening to the sharp beeping of the phone. Then, pulling himself together, he pressed the flash button and dialed another number.

            "Rukawa? Aren't you hungry?" Mitsui knocked on his door. There was no reply. Without any hesitation, he entered.

            "Oi, Rukawa. Wake up you sleepyhead." He shook the sleeping boy gently. Rukawa groaned and an arm shot out, missing Mitsui's head by inches. "Whoa. You have quite an aim there," he said, amused. 

            The boy continued to snore. 

            Mitsui sighed in resignation. Well, he did try. 

Sendoh waited anxiously for his arrival. They had promised to meet at four but he'd been there since a quarter to three. Just in case Mitsui-san came early. 

It was now half past four. Still no sign of the boy. Sendoh's shoulders slumped. Mitsui-san was not coming.

"What're you brooding over?" came an all too familiar voice.

Sendoh brightened in an instant. "Mitsui-san! You're late!" he chided playfully.

"I know. Sorry." Mitsui grinned toothily. 

"Don't worry about it. So, ready to play?"

Mitsui smirked. "Of course. And don't regret it later that you insisted on playing."

"Who's regretting?"

They grinned at each other.

Mitsui stopped to catch his breath. He was panting heavily. "Don't you ever get tired?" he asked his opponent.

Sendoh smiled, sweat glistening all over his face and body. "Of course I do. Doesn't everyone?"

Mitsui wheezed. "You don't look very tired to me."

"Maybe it's got something to do with my temper."

Mitsui raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"Well, **I **don't break out in a string of curses whenever **you** score." 

Mitsui's eye twitched. "Say that again?"

Sendoh grinned. "I'm no fool Mitsui-san. I'm not going to give you a reason to beat me up."

Mitsui tried to suppress a smile. "Try me."

"Nope. Like I said, I'm no fool. I'd like to keep my face the way it is, thank you very much."

"Whatever Sendoh."

The younger boy grinned. "No one's ever beaten me when it comes to vocal paring."

"Whatever Sendoh."

"See? Even you can't beat me, Mitsui-san."

"As you like Sendoh."

"It's a talent I've learned to nurture so—hey! You play dirty Mitsui-san!" he dashed after the laughing boy.

"Now I'm really tired," Sendoh remarked, lying on the ground. 

"mmmmm…." mumbled Mitsui, half asleep. 

They'd played for three hours straight and both were exhausted. The sky had already darkened and the street lights were coming to life, one by one. Mitsui yawned.

"I'm sleepy….." he said groggily.

Sendoh turned his head to look at the boy. "Me too. Sort of. Well no."

Mitsui looked at him under half-lidded eyes. "Are you always so indecisive?"

"No. Well yes. Sometimes." Sendoh laughed. "There you go. My answer."

Mitsui smiled lazily. It was nice out. He'd never felt so carefree before. The night breeze was toying with his hair, the crickets were creaking (um, is that what they do? ^^;;) and something soft was brushing against his lips. 

_'Probably a butterfly,' _he thought indulgently. Then changed his mind almost immediately. 

            _'Butterflies don't sigh,' _he realized. 

            It was Sendoh.

            "Sendoh?" he asked, "may I know what the hell you're doing?"

            "Can't you tell?" murmured the other boy, nuzzling his neck.

            Mitsui felt something flutter inside him. He squirmed uneasily under Sendoh who had positioned himself conveniently on top of him.

            "Stop it!" He whispered urgently. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

            "Why not?" the younger boy replied, his hands roaming about.

            "Because…… because…….well, because!" Mitsui had no idea why it wasn't supposed to happen either. It just felt sudden. Too sudden.

            Sendoh ignored him. 

            Mitsui began to panic. He didn't know why, but he did. There was nothing wrong with what they were doing. He was unattached and had no commitments, and he DID like Sendoh a lot……but this was too overwhelming. Mitsui Hisashi didn't like this because he hadn't seen it coming, and Mitsui Hisashi liked things to go at his pace. He liked to be in control. If he couldn't be in control his solution was to….

            "I'm sorry Sendoh." He shoved the other boy off him, grabbed his bag and left, leaving a bewildered and hurt Sendoh.

            He was running away again. He always ran away.

            Mitsui returned home looking bothered. Rukawa glanced up from the sofa where he'd been watching a basketball match and observed him in silence. Something had happened, he could sense it, and whatever it was couldn't be good. Mitsui was too quiet- he went straight to his room, dumped his bag and headed for the shower. He didn't even acknowledge his presence.

            And he wasn't singing in the shower.

            Yep, something had happened.

            "Sempai?" 

            Mitsui snapped out his reverie as Rukawa appeared at the door.

            "What."

            "… … …"

            "If there's nothing you want, I'd really appreciate it if you leave me alone. I'm not in the mood for socializing right now." Mitsui swore he saw Rukawa flinch at his reply, but he was too caught up with his thoughts to care.

            Rukawa turned to leave without another word.

            Mitsui wasn't sure why, but he felt a tug in his heart as the other boy departed. Just like that. 

            _'You're a coward Mitsui Hisashi. The worst there is,' _his inner voice mocked him, _'all you ever do is run away. You're weak and you're pathetic. You're the biggest loser I've ever known.'_

_            'Shut up. Who're you to call me a coward when you're no better?' _he argued.

            _'Ah, but that's where I'm different. See, I'm this little part of you that observes everything. You can't hide anything from me, Mitsui-san. I'm your conscience, your guilt, your pride and your doubt. There's nothing about you I don't know. And what I do know is that you're a coward. Nothing more.'_

_            'Urusai! You've no right to call me a coward! And I don't give a shit who you are- even if you call yourself part of me! Just do me, and the world, a favor and get lost.'_

_            'See, that's what I'm saying. You can't face the truth Mitsui-san. You're always running away. This self-denial that you have will eventually bring you down hard.'_

_            'And what do you know?' _Mitsui barked back savagely.

            _'Oh I know, Mitsui-san, I know. This is just another one of those instances where you choose to pretend that nothing has happened and carry on as if everything's fine and dandy. You ACT like everything's fine and dandy, and people THINK everything's fine and dandy with you, but I SO know. I know the turmoil that goes on inside you.'_

Mitsui shivered involuntarily. _'You know too much for your own good.' _

_            'What are you going to do then? You can't rid of your own demons Mitsui-san. You might as well get rid of yourself.'_

_            'Maybe I will.'_

_            'Ah, another evidence of your cowardice. Running away from everything now, aren't we? Too afraid to face the world, aren't you? What are you so afraid of Mitsui-san? Sendoh? Akagi? Okasaan? Otousaan?' _taunted the voice.

            _'Urusai! I'm not afraid!'_

_            'Of course you're not. You're just petrified.'_

Mitsui flushed crimson. _'Some nerve you got accusing me!'_

_            'But of course. I am you and you are me. I'm doing nothing more than pointing out my biggest flaw which is you.'_

_            'You have no idea what I go through so you should just shut the hell up.'_

_            'But I do, Mitsui-san. I go through EVERYTHING you go through. Only…… I don't run away like you do. That's our sole difference.'_

_            'Sempai.' _Rukawa was angry with himself. This wasn't right. Why was he so worried? He NEVER worried. At least not about anything that didn't concern himself. What was it about Mitsui that chose to make him worry? What was it about him that just screamed for his intervening? What? 

            _'I should never have agreed to take him in. He only troubles me. I'll turn him out tomorrow,' _vowed Rukawa.

            _'Can you really do that, Rukawa Kaede?' _that voice again.

            Rukawa firmed his resolve. _'I can.'_

Koshino sighed yet again as Sendoh threatened to sniffle for the kazillionth time. There was no doubt about it- the idiot was most definitely hurt by Mitsui's violent reaction. He'd never seen the boy so upset before.

            "It's probably for the best," he told the sniffling boy.

            "How can it be for the best?" Sendoh said, hurt evident in his voice, "I've never been rejected so openly before."

            "We're talking about Mitsui-san here, Sendoh.  And if you're upset because it's the first time you've been rejected, then I suggest you go drown yourself right now. That's a stupid thing to worry about. Everyone gets rejected sometime in their life."

            "I was hoping I wouldn't," replied Sendoh, "Demo saa Hiro-kun, you don't really think I'm upset over that do you?" 

            "No." _'Truth is,' _thought Koshino, _'you really felt something genuine. That's why it hurts so much.'_

"Does this mean you're my soul mate then?" joked Sendoh.

            "Baka!" Koshino swatted him on the head. _'How can you still joke?'_

            "Ano, Hiro-kun, I guess I should move on, ne? It hurts to dwell on this," Sendoh turned serious again.

            Koshino felt something leap in his throat. This was wrong. Very wrong. It wasn't like Sendoh at all. The Sendoh Akira he'd known all his life was so persistent it was downright annoying. He had to do something if he wanted to be free of a guilty conscience.

            "Of course not you idiot," he managed to say first.

            "Huh?" 

            Koshino struggled to find the right words. "You're going to give up just like that? You told me yourself how he reacted- which wasn't immediately. There was that hesitation you talked about. You're not going to stop now when you've only just begun are you?"

            Sendoh mused the thought over, a frown creasing his handsome features. "Demo….." he began.

            "If you give up, you're the biggest fool I ever knew." Koshino stood up and left, leaving behind a confused and bewildered Sendoh.

            _'It hurts, I know, but you can't run away, Sendoh. Only fools run away from what can be theirs if they tried.' _

Koshino was right. He was so dead right it was scary. Sendoh found some amusement in how perceptive his friend could be, and how in-control he was. He knew how the other boy tried to act as if he couldn't care less, and appreciated it. And about giving up- he didn't know why, but there was this hesitation in him. 

            "I'm afraid," he realized with a start, "I'm afraid Mitsui-san might turn me down again." Sendoh smiled. "How amusing. I'm afraid of getting rejected by Mitsui Hisashi." He ran his fingers through his gelled hair. "Though I'm not quite sure why I'm so shaken up. It's just Mitsui-san."


	6. my choice

Story title: Ao'iro

Author: Hagane

Status: 6/?

Pairings: RuMit, SenMit

Disclaimer: let's just skip this from now on shall we? We all know that the three of them belong to me ^^

Ao'iro 

            Mitsui frowned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The face that stared back at him was hauntingly pale- almost gaunt in appearance. There were dark circles under his eyes and a faint shadow of growth on his chin. He sighed as he set about fixing things- another sleepless night and another busy morning trying to undo the damage. Story of his life.

            Finding some foam and a razor in the bathroom cabinet, Mitsui hesitated before beginning the shaving ritual. He considered leaving the stubble on- but then again, it would look too unlike him- people would know something was up. Sighing, he accidentally cut himself with the sharp blade.

            "Shit!" he cursed as he reached for some toilet roll. A fine way to begin the morning. 

            Pressing the mass of roll to the cut, Mitsui replaced the foam and razor in the cabinet, no longer caring what people made of his new unshaven look. Cursing his luck, he stepped into the waiting tub-full of water. And leapt out immediately.

            "Bloody hell!" instead of the cool soak he'd expected, he had filled the tub full of hot water instead. 

            Of all the rotten luck. And on a Sunday too.

            Mitsui groaned as something occurred to him. 'Sundaes Everyday-where everyday's a sundae!'

            Smile Mitsui, smile.

            Rukawa chose not to wake his sempai up that morning. Mitsui hadn't looked too happy yesterday. Maybe it was just pms. Anyhow, Rukawa decided to train alone that morning. He wanted to clear his mind and straighten out his thoughts. Today was the day he, Rukawa Kaede, was going to turn Mitsui Hisashi out. Hopefully, all normality would return with it. Sempai was such trouble and he didn't want trouble- not now, not ever.

            So why did he keep missing his shots?

            "NYAHAHAHA!!! Kitsune, you're skills seem to be getting worse!" came that all-too familiar laughter.

            "D'aho." 

            "TEME!!!" Sakuragi tensed, then his face relaxed as he broke into a grin. "The tensai will not bother with the kitsune today because the tensai is going out with Haruko-san today!"

            "Daho."

            "It's not a date Hanamichi," Miyagi stepped out from behind the redhead, "We're just going to walk her to the library like we promised taisho."

            "It IS a date Ryochin! But of course you wouldn't know what a date is when you've never gone out with Ayako-san!"

            "Baka!" Miyagi flushed crimson, "You don't know what you're talking about so shut up!"

            "TEME!!!"

            "D'aho."

            "Urusai kitsune!"

            "Stay out of this Rukawa!"

            "D'aho. I wasn't going to interfere." 

            Both stopped their strangling of the other and stared at him.

            "By the way Rukawa, you seem rather…. preoccupied," observed Miyagi, looking him over.

            "Of course he is! The kitsune's thinking of how the tensai is better than him in every way!"

            Silence.

            "Oi," prodded Sakuragi.

            "Ehe," continued Miyagi, "so what's on your mind?"

            "Betsuni."

            "Should have known. Anyhow, we should be on our way Hanamichi. Haruko might already be waiting."

            "AAAAAHHHHH!! The tensai almost forgot about the time! Let's go Ryochin! We mustn't keep Haruko-san waiting!" with that, he dragged a protesting Miyagi away.

            'Strange,' thought Rukawa as he picked up the ball, 'does it show?'

            'We wonder,' added the voice.

            Sendoh glanced at his watch for the _n_th time before he was convinced that there was no more time to waste. It was now or never.__

_            'Hiro-kun…'_ he thought as he pushed open the door, _'you'd better be right about this………' _

            "Mitsui-san."

            Mitsui froze in mid-wipe. Fearing the worst, he turned slowly towards the counter. Sure enough, Sendoh stood there, in all his handsome glory. Mitsui breathed in sharply.

            "Sendoh." Was all he said.

            An uncomfortable silence followed as both boys stared at each other, both uncertain of how to proceed.

            "Well---" they both began at the same time.

            Sendoh cracked a smile and the corners of Mitsui's mouth twitched.

            "You go first," offered Sendoh generously.

            "I'm sorry." Mitsui stared hard at the linoleum floor.

            "For?"

            "Shoving you."

            Sendoh tried not to smile too much. "But don't you always do that?"

            Mitsui turned pink. "You know what I mean. Off-court."

            "We were on-court yesterday," he pointed out helpfully.

            Mitsui's head snapped up as he gave the younger boy a withering look.

            "You could make it easier for me you know," he said dryly.

            "I know, but where's the fun in that?"

            "Sendoh……."

            "Sorry," he laughed, "go on."

            "Well," Mitsui began again, "I shouldn't have done that. Reacted so violently I mean."

            "Yep, you shouldn't have," agreed Sendoh completely.

            That earned him an appraising glare.

            "I was just…….. caught off-guard that's all." A flush crept into the boy's features.

            "Really." Sendoh's voice was unexpectedly gentle.

            Mitsui risked a glance at him. There was a small smile on the boy's face but otherwise he didn't look any different than usual.

            "In a good way or bad?" the Ryonan player asked, head cocked slightly.

            "Um, in a good way I guess."

            Mitsui felt an undeserved sense of satisfaction as Sendoh beamed at him.

            "Forgive me?" he asked almost meekly.

            "You needn't ask," came the gracious response.

            Mitsui returned the smile. "So what did you want to say?"

            "Me?"

            Mitsui nodded.

            "Well I just wanted to claim what was mine," Sendoh winked suggestively at Mitsui who flushed crimson and looked away.

            "There's no rush is there?" he whispered, staring out the window, "We can take it slow can't we?" He sounded almost pleading.

            "I'll wait for you how long it takes Mitsui-san," came the reply, "you needn't worry."

            By some peculiar twist of fate, Rukawa found himself outside the parlor where Mitsui worked. _'Hell,'_ he thought, _'since I'm already here, I might as well get something.'_

And so he entered.

            _'What the?'_ he thought as he saw who Mitsui was attending to at the counter. There was no one else in the store save for the three of them.

            He turned abruptly to leave but not before Mitsui caught sight of him. Their eyes met and….. held.

            _'So what's this called Rukawa?' _piped his inner voice, _'If this isn't attraction, then what is?'_

_            'Go away,' _replied Rukawa distractedly. Sempai's eyes were captivating and he wanted to be left alone to admire them. 

            _'If this isn't attraction, what is?' _taunted the voice, _'Are you still going to turn him out after this?'_

_            'Go away.'_

_            'Can you bear to let him go?'_

_            'I………don't know.' _thought Rukawa, drowning in those pools of blue.

            _'There you go!' _said the voice smugly.

            "Hey Rukawa, what's up?" greeted Sendoh cheerfully.

            Rukawa broke eye contact with his sempai to glare at his nemesis. "D'aho."

            The other boy laughed, then turned to Mitsui.

            "Well Mitsui-san, I've got some errands to run but we'll catch up later, ne?" he leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his lips, "Don't miss me too much."

            Mitsui rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Dream on Sendoh."

            "Oh I will," laughed the boy, "very pleasant liquid ones."

            "Get out of here." Mitsui blushed yet again and Rukawa stared. He never saw this side of his sempai before and he's like to see it more often.

            "Looks cute doesn't he?" whispered Sendoh as he passed, "No one can resist that blush."

            Rukawa remained stoic and inexpressive. Sendoh didn't know how right he was. 

            Rukawa stared as his sempai went about preparing the mixtures and refilled the containers with chocolate bits, M&Ms™, oats, fudge and every other topping imaginable. Sendoh had long gone and both of them hadn't uttered a word since yesterday.

            Rukawa noticed the light stubble on his sempai's chin and decided right then that he liked it. It gave his sempai a more mature air.

            _'He's just standing there. Why not say hello?' _suggested the devil within. 

            _'Maybe I will.'_

"Sempai."

            Mitsui looked up and was immediately attacked viciously on the lips. Rukawa took advantage of his surprise to force entry into his mouth. Mitsui moaned as Rukawa stroked his thigh, and, the younger boy, encouraged, pushed his sempai gently down on the counter where he could ravage his sweet, sweet lips.

            "Shit, you're barbaric," panted Mitsui as Rukawa sank his teeth into his neck. "Stop it."

            "Why." Was the reply.

            "Because this isn't right."

            "Why." Rukawa licked his sempai's swollen lips.

            "Because I'm not a willing partner so this amounts to an outraging of my modesty."

            "What modesty?"         

            "Shit Rukawa. You're freaky when you're like this."

            "Oh?"

            Mitsui didn't say much else as he was locked in another passionate kiss with the other boy.

            "And because I'm not supposed to do this," he continued after they broke apart for air.

            "Why."

            "Because I'm with Sendoh that's why."

            "Forget him," Rukawa said dismissively, kissing him hungrily.

            "Iie." Mitsui pushed him away gently, "I can't do that."

            "Why not?" argued Rukawa, slightly annoyed.

            Because I like him. He's nice, he's funny and he's good-looking," Mitsui's eyes glazed over as he thought of Sendoh, "oh, and he likes me too."

            "So do I," growled Rukawa. Why couldn't sempai just forget about the stupid porcupine?

            "You don't like me. It's lust that you're feeling, nothing more."

            "Does it matter?"

            "Yes."

            Mitsui pushed Rukawa aside and straightened his uniform.

            "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to open the store."      

Author's notes: so how's this? I really, really am torn- should I make this a MitSen or a MitRu? I love 'em both and I can't decide. !-! can we have a vote?


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